For You
by smile4me-jade
Summary: "Just ignore them, Puckett. You shouldn't care what they think. You're doing this for Carly." To what lengths would you go to protect your friends?


_Just ignore them, Puckett. You shouldn't care what they think. You're doing this for Carly. _Sam reminded herself of this as she made the torturous walk through the halls of Ridgeway High School, trying to keep a poker face as if she didn't notice the judgmental glares of her classmates.

She marched passed the looks of shock and disappointment and even a few of disgust and into the girls' restroom. A girl with red hair and freckled cheeks was the only other occupant of the room and when Sam entered the girl left quickly, giving an uncomfortable once over Sam's appearance.

Sam closed her eyes tiredly and let out a big sigh, wondering if it would get easier to show herself in school. She dragged herself to the wall mirror located on the wall, mirrors were something she had recently began to avoid.

Sam scans her reflection, now a reminder of the promise she made to her best friend.

* * *

**2 months earlier, Thanksgiving **

The Shay's apartment was filled with life. The scents of all the food mingled in the air that was also warmed by friendly chatter from the Bensons, Shays, Pucketts, and even Tee-Bo. The party ate their Turkey-Day dinner with jokes, chit-chat, smiles, and laughter.

After the group eats, everyone clears from the kitchen except Freddie who stays behind to do the dishes. Hands submerged in bubbles and a large stack of dirtied plates and cups in the sink, Freddie sets to work when a curly haired blonde plops onto the counter beside him.

"Why are you cleaning, Benson? Everyone is chilled on the couch, _including your mom._"

"Just in a good mood and thought it would help out Spence."

"I hope you know how nerdy you are."

"Oh, you remind me everyday. Can't possibly forget." He gives a good-natured smile despite the rude comment. This smile sent flutters in Sam's stomach, flutters that weren't completely unwelcomed either. They both had entertained ideas of starting their relationship again but this time they were going to work toward it slowly.

"You're right. I've come up with a lot of names for you over the years. You've formed a few for me too though. Like blonde-headed demon."

"You call me Fredifer."

"You've called me a monster."

"Momma's boy"

"_Princess _Puckett."

They go back and forth like this for a while, laughing at the silliness of some of them and reflecting on memories that some of them brought. Sam even participated in drying the dishes.

When night creeps on the Shay's apartment and the group is settled into tv watching and games, Sam comes to the conclusion that the day may have been perfect. That is, until a distant looking Carly approached her insisting they needed to talk.

Carly led Sam to the studio where she fumbled with her fingers and bit her lip nervously.

"What's up, Carls?" Sam asked, her smile slipping away slowly.

Carly can't even manage to look into her friend's eyes. "Sam…something happened…it's just-I don't…" She takes a deep breath and in the smallest audible whisper she can, she says, "Sam, I'm pregnant."

As soon as the words leave her mouth tears are flooding her face and she grabs Sam into hug to let her hot tears fall on Sam's shoulder. Sam however, is still as a statue, soaking in the information.

After a minute of Carly's tears, Sam manages to ask, "When?"

"It happened so fast. About two months ago. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it." She chokes out, her voice muffled by Sam's sleeve. "What am I supposed to do now? It's _senior_ year! I'm supposed to work on my school work, scholarships, college applications. I can't go to the university of my dreams now. This will consume my life now and you know there is no way I'd…abort it. I just feel so stupid and I need my best friend." Her words were almost completely inaudible because she was crying so hard.

Sam found her arms slowly wrapping around her vulnerable best friend. She was thinking.

_How do I fix this? I can't, she's having a baby. She could give it up but she's Carly so she wouldn't go through with it, never to see her baby again. And school? Could she handle the things people would say about her? What about her future? She had big plans to go big places and now what? That was part of what I admired most about her, her ability to dream big and be successful. I don't have that. She and Freddie would be university bound and I certainly didn't have the grades or money to entertain that idea. I would remain here with my mom and Spencer, still clueless to what _my_ future contained. But that didn't matter to me right now, this mattered._

Before even giving it thought, Sam peeled Carly off of her, hands on her shoulders and looking her right in the eyes. "Give your baby to me."

Confusion envelopes her features, "What?"

"Tell them it's me, tell _everyone_ it's me." Carly steps out of Sam's grip.

"Sam, are you crazy? You're seventeen!"

"_You're_ seventeen! You have goals, and good chance of reaching them too. I don't. You would know the kid was okay and you could continue your life."

Carly's brows were furrowed, tempted by the offer. "Sam, you're my best friend, I wouldn't be a good friend if I burdened you with my mistakes."

"I wouldn't be a good friend if I let you make another one and give up on your hard work. You can spend the rest of the year at that all girls school of arts thingy. I know you didn't want to because it's in New York but that's kind of perfect for this situation and I'll just…wear one of those fake baby bellies. I know this sounds really crazy but it's better than your idea."

They stood with locked stares, Sam waiting for a response.

"Okay." Carly whispered and the two hugged for a long moment before Carly voiced that their friends would come to look for them soon. She composed herself and exited the room, returning to the normal Carly that no one suspected of having problems bigger than a shortage of lip gloss. However, Sam stayed where she stood.

_I guess I'm technically a mom at the same age my mom was when she became one._ That was something Sam swore would never happen, not to her. But people would believe it and her life would change.

She swiped viciously at a lone tear that escaped from her eyes.

* * *

**Present**

Sam glares at the fake bump that resides underneath her shirt. She still had months to go. She stayed hidden in the girls' restroom, leaving minutes after the last bell so she wouldn't have to face as many people.

She pushes the door open slowly, peeking her head out and seeing the cleared halls. Relieved, she walks through the familiar building and finally finding the front of the school where the beyond was the parking lot and her car. As she walks toward the door she notices a certain boy with a plaid shirt and brown hair who stopped rifling through his locker and stared at her, it was Freddie.

Sam's first impulse was to approach him but when she actually took in his facial expressions and she saw disappointment and betrayal. The look stopped her in her tracks and she remembered that Freddie believed she was pregnant too. She also remembered that Freddie knew where she stood on teen pregnancy because she never let them get that intimate.

She was with a boy she knew for most of her life and had a special relationship with but never gave herself entirely to despite the fact that she's never loved another boy more than him. And now he sees her as the girl who got knocked up by a boy who apparently wasn't important enough to even be mention to her best friends. She crushed him.

She took a moment to process this and figured out Freddie probably didn't even _want _to talk to her so she left the school feeling outcast, rejected, and so utterly alone.

* * *

**This is an idea I let grow a little to see if anyone thought it was worth pursuing, if you like, let me know by reviewing. :)**


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